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Florida State Department of Education

Office of Student Financial Assistance
Suite 70
1940 North Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32303-4759
Phone: (850) 410-5180
Toll-Free: (888) 827-2004
Toll-Free Restrictions: FL residents only
Fax: (850) 487-1809
Website: http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/osfahomepg.htm

This state agency serves as a guarantor for the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP).

Florida does not offer state college loan services other than administering FFELP (federal student loans.) There are no special benefits for Florida residents under these federal loan plans. Florida funds numerous college grants and scholarships and also participates in these plans:

Critical Teacher Shortage Student Loan Forgiveness Program
Critical Teacher Shortage Tuition Reimbursement Program

Many schools in the Florida University system also have their own university student loans . For instance, the USF University of South Florida Loan Program is a need-based loan. It is interest free until repayment begins, when the interest rate is 5%. Repayment begins nine months after graduation.

Similarly, the University of Florida has 104 different loan funds upon which to draw for different kinds of college loans for their students.

These loans, and the college grants and scholarships, require you to file a FAFSA, so check your Florida FAFSA deadline.

Florida Grants and Scholarships

Many Florida grants are decentralized state programs- which means that eligibility and award amounts are set by the individual schools (although minimum qualifications are established by the Florida State Department of Education). Some of these are:

The Florida Student Assistance Grant Program (FSAG)- a need-based program in which awards range from $200- $2,069 per year

The Florida Resident Assistance Grant Program (FRAG)- awards up to $2,529 per year

The First Generation Matching Grant Program (FGMG)- need-based, for students whose parents do not have college degrees

Florida Public Postsecondary Career Education Student Assistance Grant (FSAG-CE)- for community and career colleges, awards $200- $2,069 per year

The José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant Fund need-based, for Hispanic descent, variable number of $2,000 awards

Florida scholarships have a merit-based component both for initial funding and for retention.

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program- three lottery-funded scholarship programs- Award amounts based on credit hour or clock hour for tech schools.

The Mary McLeod Bethune Scholarship (MMB)- schools determine award recipients; $3,000 awards

The Rosewood Family Scholarship Program- 25 awards for direct descendants of Rosewood families- prorated, not to exceed $4,000

The Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans and Servicemembers (CSDDV)- awards based on credit or clock hour

The Florida State Department of Education also oversees a program which uses merit-based criteria to establish priorities for need-based aid. The Talented Twenty Program gives the top academic 20% in each high school an automatic admission to a state university and priority funding from the Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG).

The state of Florida concentrates most of its financial aid efforts on its Bright Futures Scholarship Program. Students who meet minimum academic requirements are awarded an amount equal to 100% or 75% of a Florida public institution’s tuition and fees (about $2300 per year).

A Pell grant is a college funding lifesaver.

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